Short Stories/Novellas

The Amish kitchen is the heart of the home – and the ideal setting for stories of love and hope. When a storm blows a tree onto Eve Bender’s farmhouse, she has little choice but to temporarily move her family into her parents’ home. Outside of cooking together in the kitchen, Eve and her mother can’t agree on anything. But this may be just the recipe for hope in healing old wounds.

Follow one year in an Amish community with three heartwarming tales of old friends and new beginnings. "A Change of Heart" is one novella from this collection. Leah is no good at cooking, cleaning, sewing, gardening—the skills that young women need to make a proper Amish wife. All she wants to do is write stories, but she's sincerely tired of being a disappointment. Will she ever find someone who accepts her just as she is?

Priscilla King has been planning to marry Chester Lapp since she was sixteen years old, and when Chester pops the question on Priscilla’s nineteenth birthday, wedding plans begin immediately. But what happens when everything that can go wrong does? Chester works to build a house for his new bride, only to have one disaster after another occur. Priscilla’s father planted an excess amount of celery in preparation for a wedding he thought would be in order soon. A failed crop threatens to puts a damper on the event. Priscilla’s wedding dress is mistakenly cut up to use for dusting rags, and one of her bridesmaids breaks out in a horrible rash before the wedding. And if all that isn’t enough, Priscilla develops a case of hiccups that seems to forewarn her every time a mishap is about to occur. Can true love take this couple through the challenges that threaten their union, or will they begin to doubt that they are on the right path, the one God has chosen for them?

Ruth Anne has been dreaming about motherhood her entire life. Now she is doubly excited that she and her best friend are due with their children the same week. But when Ruth Anne’s baby is born with Down syndrome, she and her husband struggle to understand God’s plan.

As the only girl in a family of eight, Katie Swartzentruber has been left in charge of her family’s bakery while her mother recuperates from surgery. At first, Katie doesn’t think tending to the bakery alone will be difficult. She’s worked alongside her mother for years. But Christmas is coming, and with the holiday comes a flood of patrons, both regulars and tourists. When Katie becomes overwhelmed with the orders she is receiving, she is tempted to move her Old Order family into the modern world by purchasing propane ovens to help with the workload. She finds help from an unexpected source—childhood friend Henry Hershberger, who has harbored a secret crush on Katie for years. He’s been afraid to tell her how he feels, but he’s sure that this Christmas is his moment. As the demands of the bakery only get more intense, both Katie and Henry have to decide what really matters . . . and find the courage within themselves to go after it.

Bestselling and award-winning author Beth Wiseman has sold over two million books. An Amish Adoption is a heartwarming short story of love, loss, and the way God turns tragedy into triumph. A perfect afternoon read that might leave you with a tear in your eye. “Adoption holds a special place in my heart since I was adopted and blessed with amazing parents.” ~ Beth Wiseman Emily and Dylan have always wanted a child of their own, and they’ve fostered children for years. Each time a child leaves their care, the void returns and takes a piece of their hearts. When Emily’s estranged sister dies in an accident, the tragedy leaves six-year-old, Noah, with only one living relative—Emily. With their experience fostering, Emily and her husband are easily granted legal adoption of Noah. They welcome the child with open arms and enough love to last several lifetimes. Caroline Yoder was Lauren’s best friend. When Lauren was down and out, Caroline and her husband, Abraham, welcomed then-pregnant Lauren into their Amish community, where she was later baptized. Noah was raised Amish, is devastated by the loss of his mother, and when he is taken from the only life he’s ever known to be raised by Emily and Dylan, heartache follows for all involved. Will Noah adjust to his new parents in an unfamiliar world and fill the void in Emily and Dylan’s life? Or will God intervene and reveal the plans He has for all of them?

"Inspired by a true story, bestselling and award-winning author Beth Wiseman gives readers a novella that delivers a spiritual punch without being preachy. I found myself wondering about the angels in my life and how I need to be more attuned to those around me. If you like Wiseman's Amish books, you won't want to miss this masterpiece." ~ Kelly Long, bestselling author for Kensington Publishers Walter was eighty-two when he died--the first time. His visit to Heaven was glorious as he reunited with his wife, daughter, and other family and friends, relationships that a full life had nourished. But God tells Walter that he can't stay in Heaven, that Walter has more to do on Earth before he returns Home for good. Leaving those he loves, as well as the love of God, seems unbearable. The Lord tells Walter that he will return to his earthly existence right away with renewed health and pain-free. God explains to Walter that He will relay messages to him, words that he might not understand but that are intended for the betterment of the recipient. Walter awakens in his hospital bed feeling like a man of twenty but wondering if he'd dreamed the entire ordeal. When he begins to hear God's messages for others, he follows through, although his own doubts and fears lead him to worry whether he is handling the callings correctly. As a series of events unfold, Walter is happy when things come together for the strangers he seems to have helped, but he starts to become bitter. The two most important people in his life are hurting, and God isn't helping either one of them. As Walter's faith is tested, will his own bitterness block the voice of God that carries with it a special message for Walter's loved ones?

From a bestselling and award-winning author who has sold over 2.5 million books comes a love story that poses the question--Is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all? Hannah King and her two children, Mae and Lillian, are facing their first Christmas without their beloved husband and father, who passed only six months ago. Hannah is determined to display strength for her girls, stifling her emotions until she is alone at night crying herself to sleep. But as she tries to hide her grief, she is unaware that her children need her to be emotionally present. Mae is Hannah's oldest daughter. At eighteen, she is deeply in love with a young man in her Amish community. She is working through the grief she feels over the absence of her father, but something about her mother has changed, and the transformation has Mae fearful to make a commitment to John Byler. Her mother robotically goes through the motions of daily living, but she is a shell of the woman she used to be. Mae walks away from her relationship with John, knowing her mother's grief must be far worse than her own. She isn't going to let that happen to her. John Byler is in love with Mae, but his admission to her about his feelings causes her to stop seeing him without any explanation. He can only assume that she doesn't love him the way he loves her. Can Hannah see past her own grief and convince her daughter that it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all? And is Mae willing to take a chance on love? "Wiseman is known for her character-driven stories . . . tender tales of love, loss, and redemption. Her fans will devour this short story." ~ Kelly Long, bestselling author for Kensington Publishers For fans of Beverly Lewis, Amy Clipston, Wanda Brunstetter, and Cindy Woodsmall .